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The Wisdom of the Solomon Method

The Biblical King Solomon is best known for the wisdom he demonstrated when confronted with a difficult child welfare conundrum. But how does competitive eating fit in?

Solomon, whose kingdom extended from the Euphrates River to Egypt in 967 BC, was the son of King David and Bathsheba. On one occasion two women came before him with a baby whom both women claimed as their own. Solomon threatened to split the baby in half, giving one half to each woman.

One woman was prepared to accept the decision, but the other begged the King to give the entire live baby to the other woman. This show of love revealed to Solomon that it was she who was the mother.

It was not until July 4, 2002 that King Solomon was linked to competitive eating. Takeru Kobayashi, on his way to another unprecedented victory, was shocking fans with a new method of eating, splitting the hot dogs and buns in half and then feeding them -- half on one side, half on the other -- into his mouth.

This method, which transformed his throat into a conveyor belt, was immediately dubbed the Solomon Method by fans. Attempts have been made, but no one has been able to replicate it with Kobayashi's success.